Performance Envelope

The objective of the Performance Envelope Program is to encourage partnerships between broadcasters, television producers, and digital media producers to create convergent content that Canadian audiences can consume at any time and on the device of their choice. This program is part of the CMF’s Convergent Stream; so projects funded through this program must include content to be developed for distribution on at least two platforms, one of which must be television and the other, digital media. Through this program, the CMF allocates funding envelopes to English and French broadcasters in an amount that reflects their track record of supporting and airing Canadian programming. Broadcasters commit these funds to Canadian projects but the actual funding is paid directly to the producer. For further details, please consult the Performance Envelope Calculations Appendix.

PERFORMANCE ENVELOPE COMMITMENTS

In 2018-2019, the Performance Envelope Program committed 100.0% of the program budget to 453 projects, three more than in 2017-2018. A total of 31 broadcast ownership groups and independent broadcasters received envelope allocations, five less than last year. Allocations ranged from $57.1M to a minimum allocation of $50K. The performance envelope program’s funding to production budget ratio was 5.5 to 1, a 5-year high. $1.25B in production budgets had Performance Envelope Program support. A total of 95.7% or $218.9M of 2018-2019 performance envelope funds were directed toward television projects and 4.3% or $9.9M were utilized for digital media components. Funding to digital media out of the Performance Envelope program has fallen $0.6M from 2017-2018.

PERFORMANCE ENVELOPE BROADCASTERS' USE OF GENRE ALLOCATIONS

The final percent share of Performance Envelope funding by genre can vary from the Board-approved targets set at the outset of the year since 50% of Performance Envelope allocations to broadcasters are deemed Flex amounts that can be directed to any of the four CMF-supported genres. Broadcaster ownership groups and individual broadcasters with total allocations of under $5.0M (both languages combined) were granted 100% genre flexibility.

Genre targets have not been adjusted from those implemented in 2015-2016.

The charts above show significant positive shifts in genre shares from original allocation to final 2018-2019 commitments in the English Drama, Documentary and Variety & Performing Arts genres. English Children’s & Youth continues the decline that began in 2015-2016 (-9.4 percentage points from the original allocation). French Drama was +4.8 percentage points over the original allocation. French Children’s & Youth reports a genre share of commitments 2.3 percentage points lower than the original allocation, a significant drop from previous years. French Variety & Performing Arts fell below the original allocation for the first time in five years.